There is a pain that comes from being misunderstood.
Not the kind of pain that leaves a bruise you can point to. Not the kind of pain that people can easily see and sympathize with.
It is the pain of fighting a battle inside your own mind while the world around you only sees the moments when you struggle.
For those living with conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, there are days when the greatest battle is not just the illness itself.
It is being judged by people who do not understand it.
People may see the frustration.
They may see the confusion.
They may see the moments when emotions become overwhelming, when thoughts race faster than they can be controlled, when fear and reality seem to collide.
But they do not see the war happening behind the eyes.
They do not see the exhaustion of trying to explain something that is almost impossible to put into words.
They do not see the prayers whispered in the darkness:
"God, please help me make it through today."
They See the Storm, But They Do Not See the Person
Sometimes people become frustrated with what they do not understand.
It is human nature.
When something feels unfamiliar, people often respond with fear. When someone's behavior does not make sense to them, they may assume the worst.
They may think:
"Why can't they just calm down?"
"Why can't they just think differently?"
"Why are they acting this way?"
But what they do not realize is that the person they are judging may already be fighting harder than anyone knows.
They are not trying to be difficult.
They are trying to survive.
They are trying to hold onto pieces of themselves while their own mind feels like a battlefield.
A person struggling with mental illness is not defined by their hardest moments.
A storm does not define the sky.
A chapter does not define the entire book.
The Danger of Judging Someone's Worst Day
Many people are judged by one moment.
One conversation.
One reaction.
One mistake.
One day when the illness became louder than their ability to control it.
People sometimes forget that everyone has moments they wish they could take back.
The difference is that some people have invisible battles that make those moments harder to navigate.
A person with bipolar disorder may not always be able to explain why their emotions feel like waves crashing over them.
A person with schizophrenia may struggle with experiences that others cannot see or hear.
But behind the diagnosis is still a human being.
Someone who loves.
Someone who hurts.
Someone who dreams.
Someone who wants to be understood.
God Does Not See People Like We Do
The world often looks at brokenness and sees something to avoid.
God looks at brokenness and sees something He can restore.
Throughout Scripture, God used people who others overlooked.
He used people with flaws.
People with painful histories.
People who failed.
People who were misunderstood.
Because God has never required perfection before He offers purpose.
The same Christ who reached out to the hurting, the rejected, and the forgotten still reaches out today.
“A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench.”
— Matthew 12:20 (KJV)
A bruised reed is fragile.
It bends.
It struggles to stand.
But Christ does not throw it away.
He restores it.
The Person You Are Frustrated With May Be the Person God Uses
One of the hardest truths to accept is that the person we become frustrated with today may be the person God uses tomorrow.
The person you think is too difficult may one day encourage someone who feels completely alone.
The person you think is too broken may one day share a testimony that gives someone else hope.
The person you think cannot overcome may become living proof that God's grace is greater than human weakness.
Never assume you know someone's entire story from the parts you see.
You may only be witnessing their battle.
You may not yet see their victory.
To Those Who Struggle: Your Story Is Not Over
If you live with a mental illness, please remember this:
You are not your diagnosis.
You are not your darkest thoughts.
You are not your worst day.
You are a person created by God, loved by God, and valued by God.
There may be people who misunderstand you.
There may be people who walk away because they cannot handle what they do not understand.
But Christ never walks away from the brokenhearted.
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
— Psalm 34:18 (KJV)
Before You Judge, Look Deeper
Before becoming frustrated with someone, remember:
You do not know the battle they fought before they walked into the room.
You do not know the nights they cried themselves to sleep.
You do not know how many times they begged God for strength.
You do not know how hard they are trying.
Everyone carries something.
Some wounds are just easier to see than others.
The next time you encounter someone struggling with something you do not understand, choose compassion over judgment.
Because the person you see as broken today may be the person God uses tomorrow to remind you of the power of grace.
And sometimes, the people the world overlooks are the very people God is preparing to use the most.
--jhf
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